Sonkatch: Amid the ongoing farmers' protests against farm laws and minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, many farmers in Sonkatch tehsil of Dewas district are compelled to destroy their standing crop of garlic.
Farmers claimed that they are bound to destroy their own harvest after bad weather and pest attack. At present, farmers from Londia, Ghichhalay, Kumhariya Banvir, Bawdian, Sadhukhedi, Odh, Bawai, and many other villages suffered heavy losses due to recent rain and pest attacks. Majority of farmers here sown garlic anticipating a good return in the future. However, unseasonal rain shattered their dream and farmers are now seeing their crops getting destroyed.
One of the farmer Darshan Singh Sendhav from Kheriya Jagir village of Sonkatch tehsil narrating his misery said he is destroying his standing garlic crop on one-and-a-half bigha through oxen.
Sendhav said that he had sown garlic spend about Rs 30 to 35 thousand, but after that due to natural calamity or disease, the leaves of garlic became yellow and now it gradually starts decaying.
“I am not able to sell this crop in the market so it’s better to start afresh,” Sendhav said.
There are thousands of farmers like Sendhav in Sonkatch alone who are waiting for government help, but no one ready to listen to their plight.
Farmers claimed that they informed concerned officer about the plight, but none of the officers came to their place for survey work. How much we have to wait? Farmers questioned.
On whether they informed local MLA and former cabinet minister Sajjan Singh Verma about their problems, farmers said that Congress MLA Verma is raising farmers voice through farmers protest against the new farm laws, but he is least bothered to resolve our grievances.
When contacted MLA Verma, he said as the matter came to him, he will ask respective area sub-divisional magistrate to look into the matter and will send a recommendation letter to the state government seeking compensation for the farmers.
